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International Security News

The Senkaku/Diaoyu/Diaoyutai Islands are the single biggest manifestation of a changing dynamic between China and Japan, symbolizing how the two countries are at loggerheads to be identified as the ultimate Asian power. Shihoko Goto discusses how Taiwan fits into the situation in a piece written for the Defense Security Brief.

The Wilson Center launches new Global Europe program, which focuses on Europe’s external challenges and opportunities. On occasion of the launch, the Center's President and CEO Jane Harman will host a public discussion with Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

The Syrians created a crisis by using chemical weapons in a massive attack on August 21, President Barack Obama threatened force but then vacillated, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, recognizing both Obama's strengths and his weaknesses, stepped up, grabbed center stage, and inserted himself directly into a process he'd long avoided. It shows that the right combination of pain and gain is what creates openings and drives big decisions.

A recent survey of Chinese and Japanese citizens views of each other’s countries found that 92.8 percent of Chinese respondents hold unfavorable views of Japan, a startling 28 percent rise from the year before. Similarly, 90.1 percent of respondents in Japan had an unfavorable or relatively unfavorable view of China, compared with 84.3 percent last year. For both countries, these figures were higher than in the previous nine annual surveys conducted.

Top leaders in both China and the US are concerned about the growing strategic rivalry between the two countries. They are conscious of the historical examples, where the clash of interests between rising powers and established powers has precipitated bloody conflicts. They have endorsed the concept of trying to create a new model of major power relations between China and the US that can prevent history from repeating itself. Whether this will be possible remains to be seen

Irrational nationalism is driving an ever-deeper wedge between Japan, China, and South Korea. All three countries face considerable economic challenges which will be better tackled together, instead of picking at the old wounds from World War II, argues Northeast Asia associate Shihoko Goto in The Globalist.

Does Kerry's trip to Pakistan herald a new era of warm relations for the two reluctant allies? Don't bet on it. The relationship between the United States and Pakistan may be in better shape than it was several years ago, but it remains troubled -- and could easily plunge back into crisis, writes Michael Kugelman.